Florida Coastal School of Law - 2008 discussion

To the OP: I can definetly identify with your decision, I grew up in NJ, went to RU UG, and got waitlisted (later rejected after classes had alreay started) at RU-Newark. My LSAT killed me (154). FCSL offered me a 1/2 tuition scholarship, I took the $ and went down there for my 1st year. I was able to do well and transferred to RU-Camden, just graduated in Jan and have an App clerkship lined up.

FCSL isnt a bad place at all, its really more like a bar prep than a typical law school though. However, the job prospects in Florida will not be great for you, even if you are toward top of class. Jacksonville is totally dominated by U of F alumni, plus a lot of Miami and FSU grads. Additionally, you simply will have no realistic chance of getting employment back in NJ after you graduate from there. The market is really bad here right now and I know a lot of smart people from decent schools who are out of work.

If you can get into Seton Hall, you should go no matter what it costs. SH has an excellent rep and alumni base in NNJ. If you do go to FCSL, be advised about the job problems I discussed above. I would definetly recommend transferring after your first year back to RU (you will still get instate tuition) or SH. Be warned however that FCSL grades on a strict C curve, meaning half the class MUST get a C and about 1/3 must get a D or F. Also, 1/4 of the first year class gets kicked out every year. Therefore, getting good grades and transferring out should not be taken for granted especially because most people there will be trying to do the same thing. Because of the curve and limited job opps, FCSL was extremely competitive while I was there, much more so than RU. Feel free to ask any othere q's. good luck.

Ok, so I posted this a few days ago and have gotten mixed reactions. Many people seem to think that because I could not afford a class, that I did not study. I studied my ass off to be completely honest, and I would much rather admit that I did not do my best with a score like that...but it isnt the case. The first time I took the test I got nervous. The second time I took it at New York Law School and I was way better prepared...the bad part was that the proctor docked my entire section by TEN MINUTES!!! When people told her she argued with us and wasted more time, and in a room full of potential lawyers, the argument continued. Thats why I did so bad again! I got docked ten minutes and lost the last five being distracted by argument anyway. I got ten right in that section...do you know how much that extra time would have helped? I then prepared to take the test for a third time, which got canceled due to weather. After that I had to start applying and I thought I might be okay.

Basically my plan is to do the FCSL thing for a year and transfer back up, but I am still going to try the Seton Hall route. So many people suggest it, so I will see what I can do.

Thank you to everyone for your responses, they have been helpful (except for that one about lighting my life savings on fire...lol). Keep em coming!

Two things.One, never plan on transferring. It is unpredictable how well anyone will perform in law school. Accordingly, do not attend a law school that you would not be satisfied graduating from in the middle of the class with respect to rank.

Two, if you believe that your experiences with the LSAT were not reflective of your ability, deferring for a year and retaking the test would be a much better option than attending any of the schools that you are currently accepted or waitlisted at. Usually, a school will only consider the higher LSAT if an applicant scores 6-8 points higher than previous attempts. Hence, if you think that you could take the test again, and, barring further unforeseen circumstances, score a 158 or higher, you should defer. Think about it. This is one of the biggest decisions of your life and one year is nothing in the scheme of things.

eray01

Don't go to this school, man. Everyone here is giving you sound advice. Don't do it. I'm not trying to rain on your parade, or be a jerk. I went to a fourth tier school, and I have a list of disadvantages I could rattle off. My law school is even attached to a highly respected undergrad institution. I have had no problem finding jobs, but that is only because all my previous employment experience has been in the legal field, and I know alot of lawyers. (Although on an interesting note, one of my classmates was a summer associate at Cadwalader, Wickersham, and Taft in NYC after our second year).

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you get nothing else, get this: That guy told you right. Do not count on transferring. It is not as easy to transfer as you might think. I tried it, and many of my classmates tried it. Only a handful made it. I put alot of research into this and had some conversations with admission officers at my target schools. Other law schools typically only accept transfers from the top portion of the class and it is on a space available basis. Even at a third tier school, you may have a difficult time if you aren't in the top quarter. Some schools won't even take you as a transfer if you couldn't have qualified originally. That means if your LSAT score didn't cut it as a first year aplicant, it won't cut it as a transfer applicant (those schools are not the norm though). Sure, you might make the grades. I don't know you. You're probably a pretty smart person. But, law school thwarts smart people all the time. The law is strange in that it requires you to adopt a certain method of intellectual reasoning to learn and apply it. That method of reasoning is part of what is taught, but some people get it and some people don't. Plus, you're graded on a curve. You might get it, but if you don't grasp it stronger than 75% of your classmates you're not doing well enough to have solid tranfer options from a school like Florida Coastal. Listen man, most people who walk in the door the first day of the first year think they have what it takes to be in the top 10% of the class. The stark reality that will hit them between the eyes 4 months later during Christmas break (when grades come back) is 90% of them don't have what it takes to be in the top 10% of the class. Hell, 50% of them don't even have what it takes to be in the top half of the class.

Bottom line is, going to FCSL is a HUGE gamble, you can be the smartest person ever to go there, bust your ass more than anyone, and still get straight C's. Unfortunately, grading is extremely subjective when you have a prof grading 80 essays that all look alike, plus the admin requires profs to use a strict C curve. Even if you finish in the top 20% (which there is an 80% chance against, obviously), there is still a very real possibility that you wont be able to find decent legal work when you graduate. Plus, you have to understand that EVERYONE in law school is smart and hardworking, there will certainly be people smarter and more hardworking than you. Again, not that it really matter, because grades are extremely subjective and somewhat random.